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Scuba diving travel guide - Wikitravel

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Scuba diving

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Contents

Understand
[+]
Destinations
[+]
Africa
Djibouti
Egypt
Kenya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Seychelles
South Africa
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
[+]
Asia
Egypt
[+]
India
Andaman and Nicobar
Lakshadweep Islands
Goa
[+]
Indonesia
Bali
Gili Islands and Lombok
Flores and Komodo National Park
Alor Archipelago
Sulawesi
Pulau Weh, Sumatra
[+]
Japan
Honshu
Okinawa
Miyako Islands
Yaeyama Islands
Jordan
Malaysia
Maldives
Oman
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Saudi Arabia
Thailand
Timor-Leste
[+]
Vietnam
Hon Mun Island - Marine Park Nha Trang
[+]
Europe
Cyprus
Iceland
Italy
Malta
Portugal
Sweden
United Kingdom
[+]
North America
Antigua
Aruba
Belize
Bequia
Bonaire
British Virgin Islands
Canada
[+]
Cayman Islands
Grand Cayman
Cayman Brac and Little Cayman
Cuba
Dominica
Honduras
Martinique
Mexico
Nevis
Saba
Saint-Barthélemy
Saint Christopher (St Kitts)
Saint Martin
United States of America
[+]
Oceania
Australia
Fiji
Niue
[+]
Micronesia
Chuuk
Guam
Palau
Saipan
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Vanuatu
[+]
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Chile
Ecuador
[+]
Learn
[+]
Beginner courses
Open water certification
Other beginner courses
Certification agencies
Advanced training
Technical Diving
[+]
Get in
On a liveaboard
On a day trip
From shore
Do
[+]
Buy
Rent or buy?
Work
[+]
Stay safe
[+]
Basic safety precautions
Checklist on potential dive operators
Autonomous and Solo diving
Respect
[+]
Stay healthy
Health conditions which prevent diving
Pressure related illnesses
Preventing dive-related illness
Diving in high altitude lakes
Preventing sea sickness
Preventing injuries
Flying after diving
Insurance

Diving the wreck of the Zenobia, Larnaca, Cyprus
This article is a travel topic.
[edit] Understand
Scuba diving is an activity in which you swim underwater for extended periods using Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, hence the acronym SCUBA, or Scuba.
Scuba diving is an excellent way to see some very beautiful sites: Tropical coral diving sites with their colourful sea life are the most famous but other scuba diving attractions include tropical and temperate rocky reefs, shipwrecks, caverns and caves.
Scuba diving can also be a very relaxing sport and in many places it's very beginner friendly. Many dive sites are accessible (under the care of an instructor) after a short briefing and training dive. You can learn to dive far more quickly than you can learn snow sports, for example, and a high level of fitness and strength is not always necessary. It's also suitable for people with a number of physical disabilities. As long as you can use the breathing equipment and are able to successfully propel yourself underwater you may be able to dive (see also Stay healthy).
A variation on recreational Scuba diving is known as Technical diving. This is also diving for recreational purposes, but involves a different level of training and equipment, and often involves relatively high risk activities, such as extended depth range, decompression dives, use of complex rebreather equipment, gas changes during the dive, and penetrations of caves and wrecks.
Related topics include snorkeling, which generally refers to swimming on the surface while breathing through a snorkel, free diving, which involves breath hold underwater swimming, and SNUBA, which provides a surface source of pressurised breathing air, supplied to the diver through a limited length of hose and a mouthpiece.
Recreational Scuba diving is a major travel activity. Most divers can not dive at their home towns, or the available sites are severely limited, and must travel at least a short distance to reach suitable dive sites. Dedicated divers plan entire dive holidays to areas offering sites of particular interest, and others may want to include some dive sites in their itineraries. The lack of suitable dive sites in large parts of the world also makes diver training a significant travel activity. Very often the training and sight-seeing diving aspects are combined in the same trip.
[edit] Destinations
[edit] Africa
Africa has a long coastline, and the coastal waters range from the warm tropical Red Sea, to the cool temperate west coast of southern Africa. The east coast of Africa is better known for diving destinations than the west coast or the Mediterranean coast, and there are good diving destinations scattered along the east coast from Egypt to South Africa, wherever accessibility and political stability allow.
The infrastructure varies enormously and is constantly changing. Availability of Nitrox, for example, is known from Egypt and South Africa. In some other places the availability of medical oxygen may be in question. Emergency medical facilities are also variable, and range from world class to non-existant. Don't assume that anything is available at any specific destination. Ask and get written confirmation or book through certified operators and agents.
[edit] Djibouti
Djibouti has a unique ecosystem where the mix of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean results in an abundance of marine life. Between the months of September and January Djibouti is home to resting migrating whale sharks. It is common to see many whale sharks, including juveniles, which tend to stay close to the coast during their visit.
Seven Brothers Islands is a major attraction to Djibouti waters. This breathtaking reef system is north of the Devils Cauldron, and comprises seven islands covering a vast area. Monumental drop-offs with stunning soft corals carpeting the walls, schooling fish and big pelagics can all be expected.
[edit] Egypt
The Egyptian coast along the Red Sea in both Africa and the Sinai peninsula is a favoured destination for Scuba diving and snorkeling. Various dive centers operate in each resort town or city to arrange both recreational and educational trips for all levels of experience and budgets.
Nuweiba is located in the South Sinai area. It is a relaxed small town with a large choice of shore diving and is ideal for the photographer. There are a number of dive centres which do guided dives for the experienced and courses for the novice through to tec diving. There are several hotels, small accommadations and beach camps to choose from. If you want a place to 'get away from it all' and destress this is it. It can be reached by flying into Sharm el Sheikh or Taba and then a transfer.
[edit] Kenya
[edit] Madagascar
[edit] Malawi
Malawi is a landlocked country, but it has a long coastline on Lake Malawi, with good freshwater diving.
[edit] Mauritius
Mauritius is completely encircled by a coral barrier reef and is home to many sponges, sea anemones and a variety of multi-colored tropical reef fish such as the Damselfish, Trumpetfish, Boxfish, Clownfish and the Mauritian scorpionfish with its unique orange color.
Most of the Dive sites are located on the west coast around Flic-en-Flac, in the north, at Trou aux Biches or at the Northern Islands.
Besides the coral reefs, there are ship wrecks dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, and ships sunk more recently which create beautiful artificial reefs.
The best time to go diving is from November to April when the visibility is very good.
Some of the popular dive sites of Mauritius are:
Cathedral — which is located off the Flic en Flac on the western coast of Mauritius.
Whale Rock
Roche Zozo — an underwater rock pinnacle.
Ile Ronde — which has a nearby submerged volcanic crater.
[edit] Mozambique
A manta ray at Manta Reef
Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa.
Mozambique has a tropical climate with two seasons, a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. Rainfall is heavy along the coast and decreases in the north and south. Cyclones are common during the wet season.
Mozambique has nice coral, with colouful reef fish and invertebrates, but is known more for its abundance of manta rays, reef sharks, whale sharks and humpback whales.
Major diving destinations include:
Maputo municipio:
Ponta do Ouro
Ponta Mamoli
Manta coast (Inhambane municipio):
Guinjata bay
Tofo beach
Vilanculos and the Bazaruto Archipelago:
Vilanculos
Bazaruto
Nampula municipio:
Nacala Bay
Memba Bay
Ilha de Mozambique
Pemba and the Quirimbas Archipelago:
Medjumbe
Matemo
Pemba
[edit] Seychelles
The Seychelles are a group of 115 islands, only a few inhabited, in the Indian Ocean that lie off the coast of East Africa, northeast of Madagascar.
Scuba diving is popular and can be done almost anywhere in Seychelles.
Nitrox is available at a limited number of outlets at around €8 per fill.
Diver training is available at various schools.
Diving is possible all year round. The best diving conditions are usually in March, April and May and September, October and November, as these months are when seas are calmest. Visibility can be over 30 metres and water temperatures reach 29'C. Rain, algal blooms, and winds can affect the diving conditions. The Seychelles are not greatly affected by tropical cyclones.
Sites vary in depth and are mostly moderate depth — from 8 to 30 metres. Conditions at most sites are suitable for divers of all skill levels.
The inner island reefs are basically granite formations, supporting soft and hard corals. Offshore dive sites are suitable for more experienced divers and provide a chance of an encounter with whale sharks and giant stingrays.
There are also some wreck sites.
[edit] South Africa
The cool temperate waters of the Agulhas inshore bioregion are very different to tropical waters, but colourful in their own way
The subtropical Natal inshore bioregion is home to many Indo-Pacific tropical species
There are a large number of divable wrecks along the coast
South Africa has sites spread along its coast that are well known for sharks and other large marine animals, but also have a large range of endemic smaller fish and invertebrates. The coastal sites range from tropical coral reefs in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, where the fish are typical Indo-Pacific tropical species, and very colourful, to cool temperate rocky reefs on the West Coast, where the fish life is relatively dull, and the largely endemic invertebrates provide the colour.
The annual sardine run up the east coast is justly famous, with huge baitballs and a large variety and number of predators, from Bryde's whales down through dolphins, sharks, gamefish and seabirds.
Another annual event is the Chokka spawning, near St Francis Bay.
There are a large number of wrecks along the coast, several of which are regarded as good dive sites.
The inland sites are more usually used for training, technical and cave diving.
Major diving destinations include:
Cape Town — Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay — Year round diving in two cool temperate bioregions. Many sites and good infrastructure. Temperate rocky reefs and wrecks.
Durban — Diving in Durban — Subtropical rocky reefs and wrecks.
Port Elizabeth — Diving in Port Elizabeth — Temperate rocky reefs and wrecks. Very weather-dependant. Visibility limited
Umkomaas — Diving Aliwal Shoal — Subtropical rocky reefs. Well known for sharks.
Sodwana Bay — Diving Sodwana Bay — Tropical coral reefs. Good diving infrastructure.
Knysna
Mossel Bay
Plettenberg Bay
Port Alfred
Other diving destinations include:
Arniston
East London
Gansbaai — Mostly for White shark cage dives.
Hermanus
Jeffrey's Bay and St Francis Bay
Margate (Protea Banks)
Struisbaai
Tsitsikamma
Inland dive sites including: Bass lake, Badgat, Boesmansgat, Miracle Waters and Wondergat — Fresh water dives at altitude, including some deep and cave dive sites in sinkholes and abandoned mines.
[edit] Tanzania
Includes the islands Zanzibar and Pemba.
[edit] Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is located north of South Africa. Political and economic instability mean that Zimbabwe is not currently recommended as a tourist destination.
There are only two known diving spots:
Chinhoyi Caves
Mutoroshanga Ethel Mine
[edit] Asia
Scuba diving destinations in Asia are mostly concentrated in the Middle East and South East Asia, where the water is warm and visibility is usually good. These regions mostly have a tropical coral reef ecology, and there are a number of notable wreck diving sites.
[edit] Egypt
The Red Sea, particularly the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt). Wrecks and reefs.
Dahab — location of the notorious "blue hole"
Sharm el-Sheikh
Hurghada
[edit] India
[edit] Andaman and Nicobar
Located between India and Thailand, but in the same timezone as India, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a bit of paradise. You will need to fly there from Chennai or Calcutta, therefore require an Indian visa, which makes it a bit hard to reach. Around Havelock Island there are some of the top reef dives in the world, with a great variety of sea life and good visibility.
[edit] Lakshadweep Islands
Dive sites at Lakshadweep are clustered around Agati, Kadmat and Bangaram islands.
[edit] Goa
Goa is India's top dive destination, but mostly just because it's the easiest to get to — visibility is usually only 5-6m. Diving season is mid-October to mid-May.
[edit] Indonesia
[edit] Bali
Menjangan Island in the north-west, and Tulamben (USS Liberty wreck) and Amed in the east, offer pleasant and accessible shore diving through wrecks, walls and reefs. Divers visiting Bali often base themselves at Lovina, Candidasa and Amed to access the sites.
The offshore island of Nusa Penida may offer the most dramatic diving in Bali while the neighbouring island of Nusa Lembongan is well known as a teaching centre.
[edit] Gili Islands and Lombok
The three Gili Islands are a major teaching centre and are known for the ease of diving conditions.
[edit] Flores and Komodo National Park
[edit] Alor Archipelago
Very off-the-beaten-path diving in the east of Nusa Tenggara.
[edit] Sulawesi
Intermediate to advanced diving, with occasionally strong currents.
Wall diving at Bunaken near Manado.
World-class diving at an all-inclusive dive resort at the insanely off-the-beaten-path Wakatobi archipelago.
Top quality diving in the Gulf of Tomini at the Togian Islands.
[edit] Pulau Weh, Sumatra
Gapang beach, Pulau Weh
Access from Banda Aceh, north tip of Sumatra. Pulau Weh's reefs are offer something for every level of experience. The bottom topography ranges from large boulders on sandy slopes and deep volcanic pinnacles to craggy wall sections and coral gardens. The house reef at Gapang Beach has a wide range of macro life including rare critters like Frog Fish, Star Gazers and Gurnards. Large pelagics like Mantas, Whale Sharks and Mola Mola also come to feed when the season is right. Pulau Weh offers some of the finest diving in Indonesia, yet it is still very much undeveloped.
[edit] Japan
Coral reefs on Ishigaki, Japan
[edit] Honshu
Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka prefecture is a popular destination for mainland Japan diving. The East Coast of Atami is most popular with dive operators for its accessibility and infrastructure, while the West Coast's sites are largely unspoiled, safeguarded from weekend crowds by its remoteness and lack of train stations.
[edit] Okinawa
The southern islands of Okinawa have great diving, but prices are steep: you can expect to pay upwards of $100 for two dives.
[edit] Miyako Islands
[edit] Yaeyama Islands
On Yonaguni-Jima, the western-most point of Japan:
Manta rays, hammerheads (mainly from February) and mysterious underwater ruins.
[edit] Jordan
Aqaba On the Gulf of Aqaba off the Red Sea. There are over 15 dive sites here, including 5 wrecks (the most famous of which is the Cedar Pride), all with stunning coral and fantastic visibility (18 metres on a bad day!). Almost all the dive sites are accessible from the shore and there is something to interest and challenge all levels of divers. The vast variety of the coral and fish, coupled with easy access and low numbers of divers (especially compared to Red Sea sites in Egypt) makes this a fantastic place to scuba dive.
[edit] Malaysia
There are over 300 diving sites around Malaysia scattered across many of the islands on the East Coast of the Peninsula and Sabah.
Diving destinations include:
Perhentian Islands — home of sea turtles and many species of sharks on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Great diving deals because of fierce competition.
Redang
Pulau Tioman — Splendid coral, fish, turtles and reef sharks off the Malaysian East Coast
Sipadan in Malaysian Borneo — Large biodiversity with 3000 species of fish and reef diving on a wall that descends 600m into the ocean
Mabul in Sabah, East Malaysia. Muck diving ecosystem.
Pulau Dayang For a less touristy but equally good dive spot, which can be reached by dive boat from Mersing
Sarawak Great new dive sites are being discovered off the coast of Sarawak
[edit] Maldives
Crystal clear water with over a thousand coral islets to explore.
Deep in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the entire country is built on coral reefs and has some of the best diving on the planet. Prices for accommodation and diving services are expensive, though, and currents can be strong on the outer reefs.
[edit] Oman
Muscat
Daymaniyat
Fahl Island
Salalah — has sea kelp and coral – an unusual combination of cold and warm sea organisms.
[edit] Papua New Guinea
[edit] Philippines
Spotted Moray Eel in Sabang, Philippines.
With 7107 islands, 18,000 kilometres of shoreline and 27,000 sq. kilometres of coral reefs, the Philippines lies in the coral triangle which is one of the most bio-diverse marine regions on Earth. The Philippine seas are home to over 450 species of hard corals,and more than 500 fish families, which include 2000-2500 fish species.
There is a wide variety of dive site types, including reefs, wrecks and underwater caves.
The geographic location predisposes the Philippines to typhoons for four months of the year, but the topography and structure of the archipelago make many of the sites accessible througout the year.
English is spoken in most parts of the country
Diving destinations include:
Anilao — Outstanding corals and reef life with high diversity of small marine creatures.
Apo Island — Protected diving area for over 20 years. Healthy corals.
Apo reef — A 340 meter-wide dual-lagoon system divided by a narrow channel that runs west to east. This is an area where more than 380 species of fish are known to reside, an excellent area to view several species of large pelagics.
Bohol
Boracay — A popular place in the Philippines to become certified. Quality beginner diving as well as a few good intermediate dive sites.
Moalboal, Cebu
Malapascua, Cebu
Coron, Palawan
El Nido, Palawan — a marine reserve, a dugong stronghold in the Philippines, and an excellent destination for snorkelers and beginner divers with impressive coral reefs and walls.
Puerto Galera
Subic
Tubbataha reef (Palawan) — a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Verde Island Passage — The Verde Island Passage was identified by noted American Marine Biologist, Dr. Kent Carpenter, as the center of the center of marine biodiversity. This area is reputed to have the most number of species per square meter of coral reef.
[edit] Saudi Arabia
Notoriously difficult to visit, but hence very well-preserved, and now open to tourists who can book well in advance
Farasan Islands
Jeddah
Yanbu
[edit] Thailand
Beautiful scenery, generally clear water and Indo-Pacific reef ecology, combined with a tourist orientated recreational diving industry. A popular diving destination suitable for beginners through to experienced divers. All levels of training available through a large number of agencies.
Major diving destinations include:
Thailand has two different diving regions, consisting of the Andaman Sea on the west and The Gulf of Thailand on the east.
The Andaman Sea:
Ko Lipe — Tarutao National Park is one of Asia’s oldest marine parks and the reefs are in excellent condition. Within easy reach of the dive centres are over 30 uninhabited islands and hundreds of reefs and some of the best visibility to be found in Thailand.
Phuket — Phuket Island has some good dive sites and the largest diving center in Thailand. The reefs around the area are in a healthy condition. Most of the dive locations are suitable for all levels of divers but there are also some that are quite deep.
Krabi and Koh Lanta — Some good diving, with several sites rivaling the Similan Islands. All diving is located well off the coast, requires travelling via a dive boat.
Similan Islands — Located in Phang Nga province, 90km north-west of Phuket and 70km due west of Phang Nga, the Similan Islands consist of nine islands Ko Bon, Ko Bayu, Ko Similan, Ko Payu, Ko Miang (two adjoining islands), Ko Payan, Ko Payang, and Ko Huyong. The islands have thriving reefs. Accessed by liveaboard from Khao Lak and Phuket, and by day trip boats from Khao Lak.
Surin Islands — This national park park comprises 5 main islands; Koh Surin Nua, Koh Surin Tai, Koh Ree (Koh Stok), Koh Pachumba and Koh Kai (Koh Torinla) situated 80km west of Ranong province along the west cost of Thailand. Diving is similar to the Similan Islands. The islands are less accessible than other dive destinations in Thailand.
Khao Lak &mdash: Khao Lak Marine National Park is a palm fringed coastline with reefs and a couple of wrecks. The Similan Island Marine Park is headquartered here and the Similan Islands lie 50km directly West.
Mergui Archipelago — This diving area is just south of Burma. The area is still relatively unknown and unexplored. The presence of coral however is sporadic and the underwater terrain is rather rugged, making it all not quite as spectacular as the nearby Similan Islands. Parts of the area attract a diversity of sharks, manta, eagle and marbled rays.
Gulf of Thailand:
Ko Tao — Great for beginners and a popular place to get certified. Ang Thong National Marine Park nearby also has good diving.
Ko Phangan — a departure point for sites in the Angthong Marine National Park, Southwest Pinnacles and Sailrock.
Ko Samui — known more for its beaches and nightlife than its diving, but there are some enjoyable sites nearby.
Koh Yippon — consists of 50 different islands. The visibility is lower than that of the other sites in the area but the scenery is still beautiful.
Chumphon — Chumphon province offers the visitor variety of natural attractions. Diverse marine life and fringing reefs. Night diving.
Pattaya — Just 90 minutes from the capital, this coastal shoreline is ideal for those in Bangkok who wish to do some diving on their day off.
Ko Chang Marine National Park — There are 52 islands in the Marine National Park. The area has previously been victim to man-made damage, but there are still good fringing reefs, marine life, a wreck, giant clams and snorkeling. Visibility is usually around 10 meters. Shallow depths and large variety of fish species. This is a good place to learn scuba diving skills, but while interesting, the reefs cannot compare to their counterparts in the Andaman sea.
[edit] Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste or East Timor is located in south-east Asia, just north-north-west of Darwin, Australia.
The country has a tropical climate with two seasons, a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. Diving is best between March and December.
With a 3000m deep Wetar Strait just off the north coast, a fantastic array of coral and sea life can be found, most of it straight off the shore. This is a world class dive spot that few know about. It is also a whale hot spot.
[edit] Vietnam
[edit] Hon Mun Island - Marine Park Nha Trang
The majority of the dive sites are within a 1 hour boat ride (or 15 minutes by speedboat) from Nha Trang to the nearby Islands of the Hon Mun Marine Park.
Dive sites include:
Bob's House. — 25 metres. Hard & soft corals.
Debbie's Beach. — 15 metres. Outstanding hard & soft corals.
Dopey's Ear. — 18 metres. Wall & pinnacles.
Electric Nose. — 45 metre wall dive. Currents. Advanced only.
Goat Rock. — Wall dive to 40 metres.
Hamburger Hill. — 20 metres. Rocky pinnacle with soft corals.
Hard Rock 1. — Wall & cavern dive to 25 metres.
Hard Rock 2. — Wall dive to 15 metres. Hard corals.
Hard Rock 3. — Wall dive to 20 metres. Hard corals.
Hon Mot East. — 20 metres. Outstanding coral garden.
Mama Hahn beach. — 18 metres. Hard corals.
Madonna Rock. — 5-25 metres. Hard corals. Swim thru's.
Moray beach. — 20 metres. Hard & soft corals. Giant morays.
Rainbow Reef. — 20 metres. Outstanding hard & soft corals.
The Range. — Wall dive to 25 metres with caverns.
Seahorse Bay 1. — 15 metres. 'Muck diving'.
Seahorse Bay 2. — 18 metres of 'Muck diving'.
Tiger Wall. — Wall dive to 25 metres.
Uta bay. — 15 metres. Sandy & rocky.
Marine life may not be as prolific as the Red Sea or the Great Barrier Reef, but the variety of species and vivid colours will fascinate and thrill divers and snorkellers, beginners and experienced alike! There are many varieties of fish including paperfish, devil scorpionfish, dragonettes, flying gunard, cowfish, giant moray eels, manta rays, large stingrays. There are also occasional turtles, and a variety of nudibranchs & other reef invertebrates. There are over 400 species of hard coral making it one of the richest hard coral dive regions in the world.
Dive Schools:
Amigos Divers [www.amigos-divers.com]
Angel Dive [www.angeldive.com]
[edit] Europe
Diving destinations in Europe include the more popular international destinations in the Mediterranean and mostly domestic destinations in the rest of Europe. Exceptions include some famous wreck dives at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands and the fjords of Norway
[edit] Cyprus
The wreck of the Zenobia off Larnaca is among the best and most easily accessed in Europe.
[edit] Iceland
Diving in a crack between the continents in water as clear as it can get, being filtered by lava fields for decades.
[edit] Italy
Sardinia — Also known as Sardegna, has a cave system in Alghero, with crystal clear water and astonishing limestone cliffs, it is one of the more significant cave diving destinations in the Mediterranean Sea. Red coral, lobsters, groupers.
Sicily
[edit] Malta
Stunning limestone formations, steep dropoffs and good visibility make this one of the best diving destinations in the Mediterranean
[edit] Portugal
Sesimbra has a lot of dive centers and dive sites to choose.
[edit] Sweden
Diving in Sweden usually requires a dry suit at all times of the year. The waters are mostly dark and characterized by limited visibility. Although it is challenging it is known for the unique preservation of submerged objects (such as hundred years old wooden boats etc)
[edit] United Kingdom
Marine dive sites include:
Chesil Cove is a beach which is the most southerly part of the 18-mile (29 km) long Chesil Beach in Dorset, England.
The Eddystone, or the Eddystone Rocks, are a seaswept group of rocks situated some 9 miles (14 kilometres) south west of Rame Head in Cornwall
The Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England
Fort Bovisand is a fort in Devon, England near the beach of Bovisand.
Hand Deeps is an area of the English Channel located 8 nm south-west of Rame Head, Cornwall and 3.5 nm north-west of the Eddystone
Hillsea Point Rock is an area of the English Channel located 0.5 nm south-east of Hillsea Point, Devon.
Holy Island is an island on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, North Wales,
The Manacles are a set of treacherous rocks off The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall close to Porthoustock, which is a popular spot for diving due to the shipwrecks around them
Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula
St. Abbs, historically known as Coldingham Shore, is a small fishing village located on the south east coast of Scotland, in the Berwickshire area of Scottish Borders.
Swanage Pier is at the southern end of Swanage Bay near Swanage, a small town in the south east of Dorset, England.
Wreck sites are plentiful and popular and include:
HMS A1 at Bracklesham Bay
HMS A3 near Portland Bill
SS Abessinia at the the Knivestone Rock in Farne Islands
MV Aeolian Sky, 5 miles south of St Aldhelm's Head, near Portland, Dorset.
Albert C. Field, off St. Catherine's Point
HMS Boadicea (H65), 16 miles (26 km) south west of the Isle of Portland
SS Breda at the mouth of Loch Etive just north of Oban
SMS Dresden in Scapa Flow
SS Eastfield, off Mevagissey, Cornwall
HMS Elk off Plymouth
HMS Falmouth at 53°58.93′N, 0°4.50′W
HMS Ghurka off Dungeness, Kent
Glen Strathallen, south of the Plymouth break water
Barque Herzogin Cecilie at Starhole (Starehole) Bay at the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary near Salcombe
SS Hispania in the northern part of the Sound of Mull
HMS Hood in Portland harbour
SS James Eagan Layne, off Whitsand Bay, Cornwall
{{:Wikipedia:SMS Kronprinz (1914)|SMS Kronprinz]] in Scapa Flow
Kyarra, 1 mile off Anvil Point (Swanage)
HMS Laforey
SS Louis Shead, off Leas Foot beach at Thurlestone
USS LST-507, near Lyme Bay at 50°27.15′N, 2°43.55′W
HMS M2 in Lyme Bay, Dorset
SS Maine, about 10 miles off Dartmouth at 50°12.750′N, 3°50.955′W
Marguerite, at 50°36′06″N, 2°58′39″W
SS Mendi, off the Isle of Wight
SS Mohegan, at The Manacles, off the coast of the Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall
RMS Moldavia, off Beachy Head in the English Channel
HMS Montagu, on Lundy Island
RMS Mulheim, at Land's End
MS Oslofjord, at 55°0.17′N, 1°23.72′W
SS Persier at 50°17′00″N, 3°58′15″W
MS Piłsudski at 53°45.75′N 0°45.67′E off the River Humber, Yorkshire
MV Pool Fisher off the Isle of Wight
HMS Port Napier, in the Kyle of Loch Alsh
Preussen, at Crab Bay at 51°8.02′N 1°22.17′E
Radaas, west of Portland Bill
Rondo in the Sound of Mull off the west coast of Scotland
Rosehill in Whitsand Bay
Royal Adelaide,at Chesil Beach
Royal Charter, off the beach of Porth Alerth in Dulas Bay on the north-east coast of Anglesey
HMS Safari
HMS Scylla, scuttled off Whitsand Bay, Cornwall
HMS Sidon
SS Stanwood
Stanegarth scuttled at Stoney Cove
SS Stella south of the Casquets,a group of rocks 13 km northwest of Alderney
SS Thesis, in the Sound of Mull, on Scotland's west coast
Torrey Canyon, on the western coast of Cornwall
U-40
U-1195 to the south east of the Isle of Wight at 50°33′22.26″N 0°56′17.81″W
SS Varvassi, just off the Needles lighthouse, at the western end of the Isle of Wight
SS Walter L M Russ, at Grassholm, in the Bristol Channel
Diving in the United Kindom includes a number of inland sites at disused quarries. These include:
Dorothea quarry in the Nantlle Valley (Welsh: Dyffryn Nantlle) in Gwynedd, north Wales
Eccleston quarry, a mile south of Eccleston, Lancashire
The National Diving and Activity Centre is a large flooded quarry at Tidenham, Gloucestershire, England, near to the border with Wales at Chepstow
Slickstones Quarry near the village of Cromhall, South Gloucestershire
Stoney Cove is a large flooded quarry which is a popular inland scuba diving site. It is between Stoney Stanton and Sapcote in Leicestershire
[edit] North America
Including Central America, the Caribbean and Hawaii.
[edit] Antigua
Dive sites include:
Darkwood Reef
Charlotte Reef
[edit] Aruba
[edit] Belize
Caye Caulker is a popular dive destination for it's local dives as well as it's proximity to The Blue Hole (1.5 hour boat ride away). Prices from one dive shop to another are pretty consistent, but Belize Diving Services has the best amenities (boats, equipment, facilities with a shower) and has the option to pay less if you have your own equipment.
[edit] Bequia
Dive sites include:
Devils Table
North West Point
Boulders
[edit] Bonaire
[edit] British Virgin Islands
The British Virgin Islands comprise approximately 60 islands and islets, mostly within a few miles of each other. The islands are in relatively shallow water, and almost most dive sites in the British Virgin Islands are shallower than 100 feet / 30 meters.
English is universally spoken in the British Virgin Islands
The diving is predominantly wreck and tropicsl coral reef based diving.
There are 70 dive sites marked by mooring buoys, and several unmarked.
Wreck dive sites include:
RMS Rhone
Chikuzen
Airplane wreck
Wreck Alley
Inganess Bay
Fearless
Parmatta
Rohas
Reef dive sites include:
Alice in Wonderland
Angelfish Reef
The Aquarium
Blonde Rock
Bronco Billy
Indians
Painted Walls
Thumb Rock
Wall to wall
[edit] Canada
British Columbia — Cold water diving among wrecks with large sea life.
[edit] Cayman Islands
The three Cayman Islands are the exposed tops of an underwater mountain. The underwater sides of this mountain are near vertical in places, sometimes within a few hundred metres from the shore.
In addition to the coral reefs, with their typical Carribbean fish, and invertebrates, the wall diving is an unusual experience for most scuba divers. Scuba diving in the Caymans can be done from a boat, or at some dive sites, from a shore entry.
Visibility is good due to the island's geography. There is very little runoff of silt or fertilizers from the land, and the steep walls result in the reefs being unusually close to deep ocean water.
[edit] Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman dive sites may be split into roughly into 4 regions;
Seven Mile Beach and the Northwest Point
The North Wall
The South Side
The East End
The prevailing south-east winds make it unusual to get to dive the South Side dive sites, though it is done when possible as the sites are really lovely. There are a wide variety of dive sites providing opportunities for all levels of diver.
[edit] Cayman Brac and Little Cayman
These smaller islands are thin strips of land lying roughly east to west, and there are dive sites on both the north and south sides, but the prevailing south-east winds, make it unusual to get to dive on the south sides.
Dive sites on Little Cayman include:
Bloody Bay Wall
Jackson Bay
These are both on the north side of the island and are not accessible year-round because of weather conditions.
[edit] Cuba
Maria la Gorda — popular scuba diving destination
[edit] Dominica
Located in the center of the Caribbean island archipelago, Dominica's dramatic landscape is as spectacular underwater as it is above. Dominica is one of the top dive destinations in the world, and has been rated in Scuba Diving Magazine #1 for Marine Life, #1 for Healthiest Marine Environment, #1 for Small Creatures, and #3 Dive Destination.
[edit] Honduras
The largest Bay Island of Roatan has a large diving community and several diving sites. Sites include the second largest coral reef in the world, a few meter from the coast, and a the sunken ship 'Aguila'. There are also shark dives in the island.
The island of Guanaja has a few diving spots.
The smallest of the three, Utila, also has a large dive community. Site include abundant sea life on varied terrain including wall dives. Warm waters, excellent visibility and low currents. This smaller island has its ecology better perserved as it is less urbanized.
The Hog Islands (Cayos Cochinos) are a collection of small Keys with clear water and many colorful fishes.
[edit] Martinique
Saint Pierre : Scuba dive at wrecks in the harbor. During the 1902 volcanic eruption, all but one of the ships in the harbor sank, leaving many wrecks as dive sites.
[edit] Mexico
Cabo San Lucas — on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula is a meeting point of reef and blue water fish. While the number of dive sites are limited the variety of species makes up for it as do the viewing of the sand falls.
Cozumel — has excellent and very accessible diving making it one of the most popular diving destinations in the northern hemispheres. The area is well known for reef, wall and drift diving as well as for a lively top-side scene.
Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park — The park well known for scuba diving and snorkeling. Popular dive sites include Columbia Reef, Devil's Throat at Punta Sur, Maracaibo, Palancar Reef, Paradise Reef, Paso del Cedral, San Francisco, Yucab, and the shipwreck of the C-53 Felipe Xicoténcatl. An interesting site to visit is the MUSA Museo Subacuatico (Underwater Museum) with reef sculptures by artists like Salvador Quiroz, Jason Decaires Taylor, Karen Salinas and Rodrigo Quiñones.
Yucatan — Cancun and Playa del Carmen are well known for cavern and cave diving and advanced technical diving in the labrynth of fresh water cenotes. Cenote dives are an out of this world experience, not to be missed for divers with decent buoyancy control.
[edit] Nevis
Dive sites include:
Monkey Shoals
[edit] Saba
This small volcanic island is located south of Saint Martin and differs from other Caribbean islands as it features steep drop-offs and submerged pinnacles that are virtually untouched.
Dive sites include:
Diamond Rock
Outer Limits
Tent Reef, Tent Reef Deep and Tent Reef Wall
3rd Encounter
Man o' War shoals
Torrens Point
Twilight Zone
Core Gut
Shark shoals
Green Island
The John
Hole in the Corner
[edit] Saint-Barthélemy
Dive sites include:
Ile Fouche
Ile Chevreau
La Baleine
Sugarloaf
[edit] Saint Christopher (St Kitts)
Dive sites include:
Palmer’s Paradise(Turtle Canyons)
Old Road Town Bay
Sandy Point Bay
Mystery Shoal
Popeye’s Corner
[edit] Saint Martin
Dive sites include:
Hen and Chicks
Moon Hole
Cable Reef
Groupers
The Maze
Alleys
Proselyte Reef
HMS Proselyte Wreck
[edit] United States of America
Florida — Reef diving off the Florida Keys and Cave diving in the extensive limestone cave networks.
North Carolina — Wreck diving up to and beyond 130 feet deep. Sometimes referred to as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" because of the numerous shipwrecks. Frequent opportunities to encounter Sand Tiger or Ragged Tooth sharks.
California: Monterey, Channel Islands, Farallon Islands.
Hawaii
Michigan: lake Michigan diving offers the most preserved shipwreck diving in the world.
[edit] Oceania
(Note: Hawaii is listed under United States of America in North America)
Diving a wreck off Wake Island
[edit] Australia
The coastline of Australia is very long and includes a considerable range of water temperatures and marine ecologies.
Major diving destinations include:
Queensland:
Great Barrier Reef -- large tropical reef system, most operators do sheltered easy diving. The reef is a few hours' boat ride from most of Far North Queensland. However the area has been over used and is in danger of being damaged beyond recovery.
Sunshine Coast (Queensland)
New South Wales:
Byron Bay
Solitary Islands Marine Park
Sydney
Jervis Bay
Montague Island
Western Australia
Ningaloo Reef
South Australia
Cage diving to view great white sharks
HMAS Hobart (near the Fleurieu Peninsula)
Rapid Bay
Port Noarlunga Jetty
Coastal waters of Adelaide
Kangaroo Island
[edit] Fiji
[edit] Niue
Known for having extremely clear water. It is a great scuba diving and snorkelling destination.
[edit] Micronesia
[edit] Chuuk
Chuuk Lagoon — wreck diving, including optional penetration, on a huge number of ship and aircraft wrecks from World War II's Operation Hailstorm.
[edit] Guam
This article contains content from Wikipedia's Diving sites of Guam article. View that page's revision history for the list of authors.
Guam has some of the best dive sites in the world since there has been minimal tourist impact compared to other better known dive locations. Piti Bomb Holes has been built up as a tourist attraction allowing tourists to descend into an observatory where they can take in the beauty that has grown in a sinkhole. (The name "Bomb Holes" is a misnomer.) Divers may dive around this attraction and feed shoals of fish for the amusement of the tourists inside the subaquatic observatory as much as for the divers' own amusement.
While many of the dive sites can be reached by land, some of these entry points require a long walk over coral or a long surface swim. Also, because so much of the island is controlled by U.S. military bases, many of the dive sites are accessed by land through the military bases.
The list below are some of the dive sites in Guam.
Gun Beach
Napoleon Cut
Northern Caves
Shark's Hole
The Pinnacle
Asan Cut
Blue and White
Dolphin Point
Double Reef
Piti Channel
Fish Eye
American Tanker
Family Beach
Finger Reef
Gab Gab
Gab Gab 2
Outhouse Beach
Kitsugawa Maru
SMS Cormoran
Tokai Maru
Blue Hole
Hap's Reef
Togomon Bay
Mana Bay Cut
Rizal Beach
Pete's Reef
Sea Whip Junction and Cocos Wall
Sella Bay
Shark's Pit
The Amtrak
The Crevice
The Wall
Cemetery Wall
Cetti Bay
Coral Gardens
Fu'a Bay
Western Shoals
Aratama Maru
Sea Planes
Seabee Junkyard
Sponge Reef
The Val
Hourglass Reef
Japanese Tugboat
Nichiyu Maru
Piti Chanel
Dotte Beach
Family Beach
University of Guam
[edit] Palau
Palau has recently declared a Shark sanctuary and is a known destination for shark-watchers.
[edit] Saipan
This popular dive destination in the Pacific is a typical middle-aged island composed of ancient fossil-rich coral limestone atop a subsiding, extinct marine volcano. A fringing reef of healthy offshore corals forms an extremely large lagoon and many small shallow lagoons in its larger bays, and a few offshore subsurface coral mounts. Saipan has excellent reefs, white beaches, underwater caves, WWII shipwrecks, underwater munitions dumps, and underwater airplane wrecks which provide diving that will appeal to most divers. Visibility, typically in the 50~90ft(16~30m) range, varies enormously based on location, tide, and season. Waves seldom exceed 1~2ft(30~60cm) in height, except during typhoons and tropical storms.
Wreck dive sites include:
The Korean/Japanese Troop Ship — a Japanese World War Two troop ship which sank while carrying conscripted Korean soldiers. It is in shallow water and contains almost no overhead environment, making it a very simple, safe dive.
B-29/Emily — Okay, so the wreck is not a B-29 the name led you to believe, but that of a Japanese H8K or Type 2 Large Flying Boat. The Allied reporting name for this type of plane was Emily.
Chinsen Maru — a large Japanese freighter that lies at 30' depth in the lagoon. The ship has been in the water for over 50 years, allowing for some significant coral growth as well as becoming a home to thousands of fish.
Reef dive sites include:
The Grotto — After a giant stride into the water from a rock in the cavern, divers can take three different exit holes out to open ocean. Once outside, there are beautiful walls, swim-throughs, and caves to explore.
Wing Beach — the beach/boat dive closest to The Grotto
Tanapag — a shallow introductory beach dive site.
Ice Cream — is a very large mound of staghorn corals rising from a bottom at about 50 ft to a summit roughly 40ft(16m) below the surface.
Obyan Beach — is often used by professional dive shops, both for easy "fun dives" and for open water training dives.
Lau Lau Beach — is one of Saipan's most frequently visited sites, and is an ideal dive site for beginners or people interested in small colorful animals.
Boyscout 1 & 2 — Both Boyscout beaches are rarely visited by divers because they are hard to get to. Divers who take the trouble are rewarded with beautiful coral and white sand.
Eagle Ray City — Rising out of the sand at a depth 30 feet is a rocky formation that on a good day will have up to 40 Eagle Rays hanging out.
Dimple — a seamount on the Western side of Saipan suitable for all skill levels.
Naftan — wall dive with amazing visibility and fish life
Banzai Cliff — There is only a brief time during the year when conditions are suitable for diving, but it is well worth the wait if you like the big blue dives.
Spot Light — This cavern dive is named Spot Light because when the sun shines through a hole in the top of the cavern, it is like a spotlight shining on a stage.
[edit] New Zealand
[edit] Papua New Guinea
Madang — a town with fine scuba diving
[edit] Vanuatu
Intermediate level wreck diving, including penetration, on the President Coolidge, blue hole diving with excellent visibility.
[edit] South America
[edit] Brazil
Brazil offers many destinations for diving:
Fernando de Noronha marine park (Pernambuco state), famous for marine life but including shipwrecks
The many shipwrecks of Recife (capital of Pernambuco)
Arvoredo marine park (Santa Catarina state)
Cavern diving at Bonito (Mato Grosso do Sul state)
Cavern and cave diving in mine at Mariana (visiting Mina da Passagem) (Minas Gerais state)
Abrolhos marine park and Salvador (Bahia state)
Parcel de Manoel Luís (Maranhão state)
Fortaleza (Ceará state)
Maceió e Paripueira (Alagoas state)
Guarapari (Espírito Santo state)
Arraial do Cabo, Paraty and Ilha Grande (Rio de Janeiro state)
Ubatuba and Laje de Santos (São Paulo state).
There are also liveaboards in the Northeastern region.
To dive in public parks (like Fernando de Noronha) one must be certified by one of the agencies recognized by IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro de Administração do Meio Ambiente), a federal organ.
[edit] Colombia
Colombia has some of the cheapest diving in South America. A cheap place to learn is Taganga.
The islands of Isla Gorgona, San Andrés and Providencia have some really good diving.
A little known but excellent location for large pelagics (i.e hammerhead sharks, whale sharks etc.) is Malpelo Island. It is accessible by live aboard only.
[edit] Chile
[edit] Ecuador
Galapagos Islands - Darwin and Wolf Islands offer the opportunity to see schools of dozens of hammerhead sharks, while whale sharks and other large sea creatures are also frequently sighted.
[edit] Learn
A reef teeming with colorful life
It is best to learn diving from a competent instructor, as there are a number of skills important for your health and safety. It is an activity where there are a few things that must be done right or you may kill yourself. Experience and qualification of the instructor, while not a guarantee of competence, at least indicate that the instructor was trained and certified by an organisation which in some way strives for quality assurance, and allows some recourse if you are dissatisfied with the service. Aside from the complexities of assembling the equipment, diving has a number of risks that you need to understand, and safety procedures which you need to learn. There are also some basic skills that it is useful to practise under a teacher: the major one is controlling your buoyancy so that you aren't alternately sinking and floating but instead can swim along without yoyoing, and can ascend and surface at a controlled rate to avoid injury from rapid pressure changes.
Precisely because of these safety concerns, you will need to be trained and certified in order to get insurance for medical treatment you may need after a diving accident.
[edit] Beginner courses
As a first-time diver, you will learn to dive in open water with no decompression. The term "open water" refers to dive sites from which you can swim straight up to the surface (not caverns, for example). "No decompression" diving is diving timed so that you do not have to ascend in stages and wait long periods of time at various depths to expel excess gas from your system, meaning that in an emergency you can go slowly but directly to the surface without an undue risk of decompression sickness.
[edit] Open water certification
Open water certification courses are complete beginner level diving courses: they assume no experience, but after passing the course you will be certified as being able to dive in open water with a similarly qualified buddy diver but without an instructor's company, at least in cases where conditions are similar to those in your course.
Open water certification is close to mandatory: many insurance companies demand either that you dive with an instructor or that you dive with open water certification in order to insure you and many dive tours will require that you are certified to at least this level before they will take you diving.
Open water courses tend to take three or four days full-time although you can often arrange to do them part-time or in pieces over a period of time. The time is divided between: time in a classroom learning the theory of diving; time in a pool learning how to use the equipment and move around underwater; and several dives in open water under the care of your instructor. Some certification agencies now offer the classroom syllabus online, and you only need to do the pool and open water dives with an instructor. Certification tends to be progressive: you need to pass each module in order to proceed to the next. It's usually the case that you pay for the course, not the certification: paying the money does not guarantee that you will pass the course. That said, beginner courses are not very challenging and, barring medical or psychological issues, nearly all participants pass.
Some people recommend that you do the open water certification before a holiday rather than during it: you will need to be prepared to spend holiday time for time in a classroom otherwise, and the time on the course will seldom be spent at the most interesting dive sites. However, many travellers do do their open water certification on holiday, either because they didn't plan to start diving until they arrived, they don't live near dive sites, or they have a particular location in mind where they want to spend their first dives. It is also usually possible to do a open water referral where you do classroom and pool training with one instructor and then do the required open water dives and finish your certification with another. This can be used to do the preparatory work at home and the dives on your holiday. You may need to do both halves of the course under the same certification agency's syllabus: check if your preferred agency is in the Universal Referral Program [1].
[edit] Other beginner courses
If you only want to dive once or twice, or you want to try it before you commit to a full certification, there are often shorter courses (known as resort courses) available. They are 'taster' courses in which you receive basic training in the equipment and do an open water dive under the supervision of an instructor. They are not complete certifications and do not fully train you to plan your own dives with a buddy; you will need the close attention of an instructor at all times. If you intend to dive more than a few times in your life, a full open water certification is worth the cost.
These supervised dives and courses vary widely in quality and safety. You should check that you will be diving in a very small group (or ideally one-on-one with a certified instructor as your personal dive buddy); that you will be diving at a shallow depth (no more than 12 meters/40 feet); and that the conditions are as tranquil as the area permits: cold water and currents are more stressful to dive in than still warm water.
Some certification agencies provide a syllabus for a resort-style course that will allow you to try an open water dive with a small amount of training and an instructor close by; for example PADI's "Discover Scuba" and "Scuba Diver" courses or SSI's "Try Scuba" and "Passport Diver" courses. These courses usually include part of the material for an open water certification, so that when you complete the short course you can go on to finish the open water course without needing to do the full course from the beginning.
Some dive resorts offer their own supervised diving or resort courses. If your resort certification is only awarded by that resort and not by one of the certification agencies then you will not be able to use it at most other resorts and it is unlikely to count towards a full certification.
[edit] Certification agencies
There are a number of agencies which certify divers. They work by training and certifying instructors in their syllabus and teaching methods, and then allowing those instructors to certify individual divers. This section lists some of the certification agencies and their recreational (rather than professional or teaching) certifications. Your choice of certification will depend on a number of factors, primarily which certification agencies have a presence in the area you learn in, and in the areas you wish to dive in.
All reputable dive operators will require certification of your skills in the form of a certification card (C-card) from a recognized agency. This does not need to be the same agency that their own instructors work with: for example, a CMAS or SSI certified diver can dive with a shop that certifies under PADI. The requirement for certification is often also enforced where the customer wishes to buy Scuba equipment or have cylinders filled, but this is not universal, as in some countries there is no legal obligation for a recreational diver to be certified.
Recognised recreational certification agencies include:
ACUC: The American Canadian Underwater Certifications [2]
ANDI: American Nitrox Divers International,
BSAC: The British Sub Aqua Club [3], bases its training on a network of affiliated clubs.
CMAS: The French-based Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques [4] , a volunteer-run amateur organization that takes a more comprehensive approach than many of the commercial agencies. There are national certification agencies affiliated to CMAS for most countries where training is done under their standards. Certification by all CMAS agencies is considered to be equivalent, but national agencies do not all necessarily provide the same range of certification.
GUE: Global Underwater Explorers [5], concentrates on technical and cave diving specialities.
IANTD: International Association of Nitrox Technical Divers.
IDEA: The International Diving Educators Association [6]
ISI: The Independent Scuba Instructors[7]
NAPI: The National Association of Professional Instructors, does not train directly, but issues certification based on recognition of prior learning and experience.
NAUI: The National Association of Underwater Instructors [8], US-based, is the oldest recreational scuba certification agency.
PADI: The Professional Association of Diving Instructors [9], the largest scuba certification agency, a commercial agency targeted towards recreational divers who want to learn quickly.
PDIC: The Professional Diving Instructors Corporation [10]
SDI/TDI: The Scuba Divers International/Technical Divers International [11] , a certification agency designed to train with an emphasis on practical diving skills. SDI focuses on the recreational side of scuba diving and TDI is the mother branch that specializes in Technical Diving.
SSI: Scuba Schools International [12], another large commercial agency.
[edit] Advanced training
After completing a beginner level dive course, you can do additional courses to increase your skills or to pursue particular interests.
Post-beginner skills involve learning to dive in new or more difficult conditions or learning to dive using different equipment. There are several reasons you might pursue more skills in addition to the simple challenge: increased safety knowledge or a desire to dive at particular sites that need those skills are among them. Often you will need to do a formal course in new dive skills because centers running dives using those skills will require evidence that you are properly trained. Post-beginner skills that usually require training include: diving using oxygen enriched air ("nitrox"), deeper diving (optionally including decompression), wreck diving and cave diving. A diving rescue course is worthwhile if you dive regularly, whether or not you continue as a no-compression open water diver. Most certification agencies have courses in these skills and some wrap a number of them up into various 'Advanced' certifications. Many divers proceed to more difficult conditions (cool water, diving at night) without formal courses, but they are available if you want them.
In this context 'Advanced' implies only slightly more advanced than a complete beginner. The term should not be understood to mean any significant experience or skill level, as it can be achieved with very little experience and only slightly more than minimal skills. It is largely a marketing term, as beginner divers like the idea of an 'Advanced' certificate, and are more eager to pay for the training when this word is printed on their certification cards. A similar meaning (or lack thereof) is connected to the 'Master Scuba Diver' certification. In both cases the training and experience is valuable, and may even be worth the cost, but do not be misled about the reality. Divers with these certifications are advanced beginners until they have some range of experience.
Interests are particular reasons why you dive and include: underwater photography and videography; marine life identification; and marine life conservation. Many of the dive certification agencies have guided dives or courses in these fields but you may also be able to learn them informally from self-study, practise and fellow divers.
Finally, some divers are interested in mapping and describing dive sites. There are no formal courses or certification in this field, though some relevant trining may be included in Divemaster programs.
If this turns out to be one of your interests, consider writing up your favourite sites on Wikitravel, so that you can help the diving community by sharing your knowledge and experience. There are templates and guidelines on the currently recommended formats, but anything is generally better than nothing, so feel free to plunge forward and input your experience. If you want more guidance on this subject, refer to one of this article's docents.
[edit] Technical Diving
Divers who engage in planning longer and deeper dives with mandatory decompression stops, or penetrating into overhead environments such as wrecks or caves, are normally referred to as technical divers (or tec divers for short). Technical diving involves a considerably greater investment in training and equipment than conventional recreational diving, and will often involve breathing more exotic gas mixes, such as trimix (to mitigate nitrogen narcosis at depth) and highly enriched nitrox or pure oxygen (to accelerate decompression). Divers interested in progressing into technical diving should seek training from instructors qualified by special technical diver raining agencies such as TDI, IANTD, GUE, DSAT (the technical arm of PADI), NAUI Tec (the technical arm of NAUI), or SSI TechXR (the technical arm of SSI). Diving beyond no decompression limits, or penetrating deep into overhead environments, without appropriate training and equipment is extremely unwise.
[edit] Get in
There are three major types of travelling to your dive site: liveaboards where you stay on the boat, day trips where you take a boat trip out to your dive site and back in the same day, and shore diving where you get in from the land.
[edit] On a liveaboard
Liveaboard traffic in the Similan Islands
Liveaboard in the Philippines
Many divers prefer liveaboards, where they sleep on the dive boat. This can save on accommodation costs, allow for more diving, and make it easy to get to know your fellow divers. Liveaboards range from 1 night in length to a fortnight or more. Liveaboards typically allow between 3 and 5 dives per day (depending on time and dive tables). The accommodation quality ranges from backpacker-esque, with 4-share cabins and showers shared between multiple cabins, to luxury cruise style accommodations. If you haven't opted for a luxury liveaboard, you will get your dives for about two thirds the cost of a day trip on a boat, even leaving aside any savings on accommodation.
When travelling on a liveaboard:
pack as little as possible: a few changes of weather appropriate clothes, sleep gear, toiletries, light-weight entert